Aqueduct: Jimmy Winkfield, Withers among options for Clawback

Unlikely to find an allowance race, trainer Rick Violette will likely have to run recent maiden winner Clawback in a stakes at Aqueduct for his next start.

The question is, will Violette keep Clawback at six furlongs in the $75,000 Jimmy Winkfield on Jan. 21 or attempt to stretch him out to 1 1/16 miles in the Grade 2, $200,000 Withers on Feb. 2?

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“I’m not sure yet,” Violette said Friday.

Violette had Clawback work a mile in 1:45.17 over the inner track in company with Economic Summit on Wednesday.

“He went a pretty good mile with a good older horse and actually came out of it great,” Violette said. “Cooling out he was like a wild man.”

Clawback, a son of Put It Back, won a six-furlong maiden race by three lengths on Dec. 13, beating the next-out winner Omega Star. Prior to that, Clawback ran second to Always in a Tiz at Saratoga and second to Vyjack in a maiden race on Nov. 10. Vyjack has come back to win two more races, including the Grade 2 Jerome.

One reason Violette could run Clawback in the Withers is that he is considering running Go Get the Basil in the Winkfield. Go Get the Basil, a New York-bred son of Andromeda’s Hero, has won two straight sprints.

“Numbers-wise, he actually belongs,” Violette said.

Go Get the Basil breezed four furlongs in 50 seconds over the inner track on Friday.